Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-06-17
rhe President and the Grand Army

Gen. w. r. Sherman has written letter
to some prominent members of the G. A.
r. in St. Louis, in reference to the recent
muddle among the grand army men re-
garding the invitation to President Cleve-
land to visit St Louis during their forth
coming encampment. The Generals let
ter is open and manly in its tone; and
while it enuuclates plain and wholesome
truths, furnishes a healthy cons'rast with
the recent demagogic speech OF "H H'nest
John" heretofore referred to. In the course
of his letter the Gen raj says:
"Mr Cleveland, the President of the
United States, by fair election of all our
people, commander in chief of the army
and navy of the United States, free to come
and 60 wherever the jurisdiction OF this
our nation--government extends. lie
may visit any fort or ship, where the ma
tional flag will be lowered to manifest re
spect to him and his office, and should a
foreign ship fail to do him full honors
none will be 50 quick to resent an insult
as the members of the Grand Army of the
Republic, who periled life and limb to
make that flag respected at home and
abroad. The idea of his being insult"d,
much less endangered, should he be the
stand alongside Of our commander in -ch,ei
sGenernal Fairchild, when the Grand Army
lis passing IN review, seems to me mon
strous | think know the Iowa boys too
we'll 10 believe such q think possible -
Brave men are never ungenerous, and the
IL. lpa I'm 4
of knowledge acquired in battle, and
!. pledge my life tha, no Iowa s"ldier will
do go unmanly an act, and should Mr..
Cleveland accept the invitation. which
hope he will, to attend the parade of the
Grasd Army Of the Republic at st. Louis.
on the 2Sth OF September next. will stand
by his side or march past in the ranks oil
Ransom Post, as may be ordered 10y Gen.
| Fairchild.
81 notice with pain that the Presidents
action in cer'ain Pension bills enters into
this unhappy controversy. There we're
many private bills. and one OF q general
nature, which the President vetoed. The
Constitution of the United States compels
the President to approve or veto each
separate bill ss il reaches him from Con-
gress. If approved. it becomes law II
vetoed, it requires an increased msnrity
OF Congress to pass it, but the President
can only account for his Judgment by his
own conception of duty to his God. We
soldiers must submit to il, because it is
the law.
Honest men differ widely on this qu.s
tion of pensions to our cid and feeble
conn AIDES We all want TO do what 10
right, but differ as to the means. All we
know 10 that after twenty odd years after
the civil war the government Of the Unit ID
States. under Republican and Democratic
rule pay out to our old soldiers of theU nion
army about $50, ,000, 900 per year. and q
few thousand to The Mexican WAS veterans,
regardless Of locality, aud not one cent to
the rebels of the South, whom We fought
in the civil war. We old soldiers OF the
civil war have not yet just cause TO maj
an issuse on the question of pessions 10
our intirm aud wounded comrades. sd.
wise you to ge right along. prepare the
way for the Grand Army of the Republic
at its session of Wednesday,. September
2S, 1887, at ST. LOUIS, and receive them ss
they deserves hon"red guests. Also
the President OF the United states, with
such other hcnored guests as may grace
the occasion. II any of our comrades feel
hurt at the associatiafx they can remain At
home, bur the sun wiu rise each mor-ing,
the seasons will follow each other in sue
cession. and the world. with its myriads
of people, will go right along al the same.